


Offer up your daughters, your daughers

by kooky500



Category: Vampire Knight (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Arranged Marriage, Engagement, F/F, Female Kaname, Genderbending, Genderswap, HAROLD THEY'RE LESBIANS, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Kissing, Lesbian Character, Male Yori, Male Yuuki, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rule 63, Sexism, Sexist Language, Soulmates, female Zero, sorta - Freeform, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2020-12-28 01:42:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21128702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kooky500/pseuds/kooky500
Summary: A brief look at how things might have turned out different if Kaname and Zero were both women and how the universal experience of womanhood can serve to bring two women together more than they ever thought possible.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sure, we've all seen Fem!Zero and Fem!Kaname, but you don't really see them BOTH in the same fic, you know? Basically I'm trying to say that this fandom needs more lesbians. And my bisexual ass is here to help with that!
> 
> This was originally going to be posted for FemSlash February but then life happened at there was no way this was going to be ready to post in time for that. So here we are now! In October...
> 
> Yes, that title comes from the theme song to the Carmilla webseries btw. I love that show and it was a huge inspiration to me in writing this, so that's why I couldn't resist giving it a little nod.
> 
> I've changed some names for the sake of this fic and the changes are as follows:
> 
> Karmilla = F! Kaname
> 
> Rio = F! Rido
> 
> Ichiru was assigned male at birth before discovering she was trans. Her new name is Izumi. 
> 
> Karen = F! Kaito
> 
> Kaede = F! Kaien Cross
> 
> Yukito = M! Yuuki
> 
> Yori still has the same name but is a guy in this fic.
> 
> I think that's all of them, but if I remember any that I missed I'll leave them at the beginning of the chapter!

Karmilla was intrigued by Zero. Well, perhaps that was a bit of an overstatement. But still, she found her eyes wandering, passing over the girl outside the window of the classroom as she walked by on her patrol.

“Kuran!” She slowly returned her attention to the board. Ah, Yagari, defensive of her little girl as always. The old bat could claim she didn’t care all that she liked, everyone knew that she saw Zero as her own daughter.

“Eyes on the board, bloodsucker,” She grumbled with a glare as though she could tell what Karmilla was thinking of. Or rather, _who._

Yukito had joined Zero now, the boy gesturing excitedly as the pair walked but Karmilla wasn’t focused on him but his companion once again. She watched the girl’s silver braid sway in the breeze, catching a glimpse of a pale neck. 

With the window open, a faint breeze brought the scent of coppery sweetness into the classroom. The effect was immediate as several vampires’ eyes turned red and sniffed at the air. Beside Karmilla, Aidou let out a faint moan and the delicious smell and before the woman could stop herself she growled lowly under her breath, gnashing her fangs together. He stopped at that, shrinking back in his seat as his eyes returned to their normal shade of blue and looking thoroughly reprimanded.

“Oi!” Yagari shouted, lightly reminding all of them of the hunter’s presence in the room in the most subtle way the woman could manage. 

Karmilla let a smirk play at her lips as the vampires around her relaxed, coming down from the high of smelling fresh blood. _So, it’s _that_ time of the month, hm?_

Perhaps she’d pay a visit to a certain trigger-happy prefect. Things _had_ been getting a tad boring lately, after all.

“Man what was that _scent_?” Aidou asked as the night class made their way back towards the dormitory. “It’s not just me, right? It smelled so good.”

“It did smell rather appetizing,” Rima chimed in, to the shock of many of their classmates. It was a rare sight to see her speak up about _anything._

Karmilla’s steps ceased as her eyes narrowed. Something about Aidou’s words irritated her, rubbed her the wrong way.

“Tell me, Aidou. Do you remember what I made you swear, before you came to this school?” Karmilla asked, glancing over her shoulder with an unreadable gaze.

“T-To never harm a human?”

“And what does that include?”

“Drinking from them,” He answered softly. “But it’s just Kiryuu! I don’t see why-“

Though she couldn’t pinpoint why, something about those words made Karmilla’s blood boil and her jaw tighten as she ever-so slowly, she spun to face the blonde. The rest of the class watched with bated breath as she approached Aidou in measured steps, looking down her nose at him.

“Aidou.”

“Y-yes?”

Her smile was slow as it spread across her lips. “Are you particularly fond of your genitals?”

“I-uh- y-yes?” He answered, unsure of how he was supposed to reply to a question like that. His face turned a vivid, beet red.

“Then watch your tone,” She said as fer smile dropped away. “Or I’ll tear them off and shove them down your throat for speaking about a student in such a way.” The pureblood promised with a blank face. 

Shaking, the noble furiously nodded. Karmilla said nothing, turning on her heel and continuing like nothing had ever happened.

“Fucking piece of god damn shit! Motherfucking-“ Zero chucked the glass in her hand at the wall, enjoying the way it shattered into pieces. Right now she’d take pleasure in destroying just about anything.

“My my, how unladylike.”

She froze at the smooth voice that met her ears as her mood soured even more. “What the fuck do you want, you bitch?” As if she wasn’t angry enough.

“Me? I’m more curious about _you,_ Kiryuu.” Karmilla purred, legs crossed over one another as she smoothly perched on the sill of the girl’s open window. “You seem quite angry tonight, as a matter of fact. What has you in such a mood?”

Zero fixed her with a scowl. 

“Why the fuck do you care?”

That… was a good question, actually. Why _did_ she care? After all, as long as the other girl wasn’t bothering Yukito it wasn’t like it was any of her business, tet she was concerned about the young hunter. _How odd._

She watched silver strands spill over the hunter’s shoulder as Zero yanked her braid out, the girl having taken off her uniform and now dressed only in a tank top and a pair of boy shorts that showed off lean, firm muscle that Karmilla couldn’t help but notice, her eyes drifting in particular to the girl’s shapely biceps. Just how much training did Zero _do?_

“You’re staring,” Zero noted with a raised brow.

Blinking, Karmilla’s eyes flitted away as she realized that her eyes were… lingering, on the other girl. She cleared her throat politely.

The hunter just laughed, the sound light and airy in a pleasing way that made Karmilla’s heart quicken for some strange reason. Zero’s laugh was a beautiful sound, the pureblood realized. Why didn’t she laugh more often?

The hunter blew a lock of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear with a scowl. “Fucking hair,”

“I could cut it for you, if you’d like.” The words were out of the vampire’s mouth before she could stop them and for a moment, the two simply stared at each other. Zero looked at her like she’d grown a second head and Karmilla in shock at her own offer. It was too late to take it back now though and honestly, she wasn’t sure she wished to rescind the offer.

“_You,_ Ms. I-have-five-personal-chefs, know how to cut hair?”

Karmilla nodded and brushed her chocolate curls back over her shoulder. “Yes. I’m not overly fond of people touching me, so I cut my own hair myself.”

“Oh. I uh- I guess I get that.” Zero said with a shrug, even though she didn’t, not really. “Right now?”

“If you wish.”

Zero debated that internally for a second, unsure whether or not she should trust the other woman. After all, this _was_ Karmilla Kuran and they’d been at each other’s throats she and the other woman from the moment they met. There was nothing promising this wasn’t some cruel jest of Karmilla or chance to completely ruin the hunter’s locks. By all means, trusting her was a terrible idea.

And yet she wanted to.

Eventually the hunter shrugged, figuring there wasn’t much she had to lose. “Fine. But I’ll warn you, mess it up and I’ll put a bullet in you.”

To her surprise, the vampire threw her head back and laughed. “Now _there_ is the Zero Kiryuu that I know.”

Karmilla disappeared after that and returned a few moments later with a pair of scissors in hand. She ushered Zero into the restroom and ordered her to close her eyes while she worked. Shockingly, the hunter complied and Karmilla figured it was best not to question her luck.

She carefully eyed the silver strands for several minutes and asked the hunter question after question, letting the soft locks fall through her fingers like spun gold. And then she picked up the scissors and got to work. The room was silent for a long while, the only sounds being those of the scissors snipping as stand after strand fell to the floor.

Zero’s hair was soft and delicate under Karmilla’s hands, each strand was smooth as silk, falling straight as a pin against her head and glinting beneath the light above them as the pureblood cut as if it were molten silver.

“I’m finished,” Karmilla finally announced, pausing to look at her work with a swell of pride. Lilac eyes cautiously opened, staring at the mirror in front of the two before the hunter’s lips fell open in a gasp.

Her hair now fell just below her chin in the front and above her neck in the back, accented with choppy layers. Oddly, Zero found herself rather liking the style which had clearly been cut with extreme precision and care paid to each section. It looked like it had been done by professional and that in _itself _was weird, considering she wouldn’t have been surprised if Kuran had taken the chance to mess it up on purpose.

“Thank you,” The hunter murmured without even really thinking of it, lifting a hand to run it through her newly shortened strands. She was _genuinely_ appreciative of the woman. “It’s a nice gesture for someone you hate.”

“I don’t hate you, Zero.” Karmilla argued and the hunter found her breath catching slightly at the sound of her name on the vampire’s lips. “All this time, I’ve only wished for us to at least be civil to each other if nothing else, but you insist on pushing everyone away.”

The ashen haired woman scowled at that, her arms seemingly folding of their own accord. But even she couldn’t deny that there was a modicum of truth in the pureblood’s words. Perhaps she had been a bit… unfair. Karmilla wasn’t Shizuka. Now if only she could make herself believe that.

When she turned around to face the woman though, Karmilla was gone.

To her horror, Zero found herself striking up an odd friendship with the pureblood over the next few weeks. It started with mysterious bags of fresh blood appearing on her desk every few nights, with the type and donor listed, no doubt from a nearby hospital. She refrained from insulting Kuran after that, even going the extra mile to treat her with respect. 

Karmilla helped Zero with a bit of difficult homework, even offering to tutor her in the subjects she was struggling in. Zero talked to Yagari about lessening the absurd workload the woman assigned the Night Class. It was nothing much - just little things, here and there and if Yukito noticed anything out of the ordinary, he chose to stay quiet about it.

Karmilla in turn, found herself smiling more in these weeks, her usual carefully, schooled expression cracked by the tiniest of grins. And yet, every time she caught Aidou’s eyes following the sliver of skin above the female prefect’s collar, her fingers curled into fists and something possessive grew in her chest. 

_If anyone is going to taste Zero’s blood it will be me,_ a part of her mind spoke.

She paused at that, touching a hand to her chin. How curious, it seemed she had formed an… _attachment_ to Kiryuu. The thought of her hunter allowing another to drink her blood or the hunter herself consuming the blood of another madee her bare her fangs in a snarl. _Her hunter?_ When had she begun referring to Zero as _her hunter?_

“Aidou, do close your mouth before you start drooling like a dog.” The pureblood snapped, shaking her head to clear her thoughts, enjoying the way the blonde stumbled at her words, nearly falling over his own feet.

“Aw,” Ruka cooed. “Do you _like_ Kiryuu, Aidou?”

“She looks different lately, less sad. Not as melancholy.” Rima chimed in, glancing over her shoulder where the ashen haired woman was talking with Yukito. “It’s nice.”

“I do _not_ have a crush on Zero!” Aidou yelled as his face flushed. 

Well, if the entire campus wasn’t paying attention before, they certainly were _now,_ as nearly every face turns to face the class. Zero squirmed where she stood with a grimace, eyes flitting around as though she’d rather be anywhere else right now. The day-class students immediately set about whispering and murmuring beneath their breath, sneaking glances at the prefect as a thousand new rumors were being dreamed up.

Karmilla felt an irritated growl building in her throat, but whether that was due to Zero’s obvious discomfort or Aidou’s feelings about the hunter, remained to be seen. The blonde vampire told Ruka to shut up harshly before deliberately turning away from the hunter as the group continued to class.

Later on, in the early hours of the morning before the sun came up Karmilla followed the scent of the hunter to a clearing in the woods. There she found Zero, clad in a pair of shorts and a tank top, jumping down into a perfect plank before leaping back up into standing.

A fine layer of sweat glistened on the hunter’s back and Karmilla’s mouth went dry. She wanted to lick it off.

The pureblood’s eyes were glued to the prefect, watching her muscles flex and move as she pushed up once more before looking over her shoulder with a small smile that wouldn’t have been present weeks ago.

“Your Majesty,” Zero greeted, between pants with a teasing tone. “Out for a morning stroll?”

Karmilla chuckled, leaning back against a nearby tree. 

“Aidou seems to have developed an infatuation with you. Does that bother you? I could sense your discomfort earlier.”

The hunter snorted, grabbing a nearby towel to wipe the sweat from her face. 

“Give it a week, it’ll go away. He just sees me as something pretty that he wants to fuck, that’s all.” She stretched her arms across her chest with a sneer at nothing in particular. “Men, I swear. With them, you have to be twice as tough to earn half as much respect.”

The pureblood hummed, neither agreeing with nor denying it. There was a pleasant warmth in her chest admittedly, knowing Zero didn’t reciprocate the blonde’s attraction in any way.

“Care to join me, Princess?” The ashen haired woman asked, resuming her exercise once more.

“I’m hardly dressed for the occasion.” Karmilla replied, gesturing to her white skirt and black blouse. Far from ideal clothing for sweating.

But if Zero happened to be joined be a certain brunette while jogging through the forest a night or two later, neither of them said anything.

It happened a week after the two started training together in the early hours of the morning. Zero discovered that she couldn’t keep any blood down, everything she drank simply came right back up. And rather than Yukito or Cross being the first ones to find out about her slight _problem,_ it’s Karmilla who stumbles upon the hunter in her dorm room, hunched over on the floor as red liquid spills from her mouth.

“Zero?” She questioned, creeping closer as her heart jumped into her throat. Zero’s arms were wrapped around her stomach while blood ran down her chin to stain her shirt. 

“Fuck,” Zero breathed. _At least that’s all of it._ Just as the thought crossed her mind though, the hunter lurched forward, nearly passing out into a puddle of blood before a cold hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

Zero didn’t look any worse for the wear. Her skin wasn’t pale (well, any more so than usual) or clammy and she didn’t feel hot to the touch, yet her eyes were glossy and red in their hunger, lazily flickering to Karmilla. Ignoring the way her throat burned at the sight of Zero covered in blood, the pureblood slid one arm around her shoulders and the other under the hunter’s knees, hoisting her up into her arms.

“K-Karm-“ The hunter managed, clinging to the other vampire. Karmilla’s touch left sparks under her skin where they gripped Zero’s bare thighs and she smelled so damn _good_. This close Zero could smell the faint hint of peppermint from her shampoo and beneath that, a light coppery sweetness that beckoned to her and made her fangs ache. If she tilted her head just right, she could almost-

Karmilla set Zero down on her bed gently, taking a seat on the edge next to her as she noticed the other woman’s lack of pants or _any_ bottom clothing aside from the shirt that barely reached mid-thigh.

“How long has this been happening?” She asked, hand shooting out to grip Zero’s chin and force her to meet the pureblood’s eyes.

“About a week? I think.”

The brunette pursed her lips and held back a growl. Why hadn’t Zero come to her?

“I’m fine, really,” Zero rasped out as a hacking cough overcame her, droplets of blood escaping her mouth with the motion. “This happens every now and then when I try to suppress the hunger. It- it’s nothing.”

“This has happened before? And you didn’t tell me?”

Zero winced at the hurt in Karmilla’s voice, glancing down at the bed. “A few times, yes.”

“And how long did it last each time?”

“A-a few days, I think?”

“And how long has it lasted _this time?”_

Zero’s shoulders sagged. “I-“

_“Zero.”_

“Almost a week now, okay?”

Karmilla drew back in shock. “A week? And you never thought to tell someone? To tell _me?_ What if something had happened to you?”

“I know, you’re right. I fucked up, okay? But I- I thought it really was just nothing. Am I… am I _falling_?” Zero questioned, idly gripping the hem of her shirt though in her eyes, disgust laid hidden behind the hunger. She hated this, having to live with the fact that one day she will lose her sanity, her _mind._ One day she will be nothing more than a prisoner trapped in her own flesh, reduced to nothing but animalistic need.

“I don’t know.” Came the pureblood’s answer, much to the displeasure of both women but Karmilla well and truly didn’t have an answer this time. Usually when level Ds fell to level E however, it was a much more sudden and drastic change, not to mention Zero would crave _more blood_ if anything, not reject it. It was baffling, what was happening to the hunter currently. 

Cross might know something about Zero’s condition, but the chairwoman was no doubt sleeping since it’s the middle of the night and wouldn’t be much help half-asleep. This could not wait until morning, though. With Zero’s thirst she posed a risk to the human students, and the blood in her room currently had the vampires riled up as well. There was one possible solution though…

“Drink from me.” Karmilla said.

“You want a _level D_ to drink from a pureblood?” Zero repeated with incredulity. “I can’t-

“Zero, if you do not curb your thirst you may attack one of the day class students. Do you truly want that?” 

Using the hunter’s condition against her was a dirty trick, but Karmilla had no qualms about doing so if it got the stubborn woman to listen to her for once.

“No,” Kiryuu sighed, as the pureblood unbuttoned her sleeves to expose her wrist. She held her arm out towards Zero and inclined her head in silent invitation.

Zero ground her teeth together, knowing there wasn’t much of a choice before her. Red eyes flickered back to lilac for a brief second, focusing on Karmilla. Zero’s tongue flickered out to taste the pale flesh, eyes scrunching shut as fangs buried themselves into flesh a second later.

It wasn’t perfect. The hunter’s technique was sloppy and a thing rivulet of blood escaped to run down Karmilla’s wrist, but it was only slightly discomforting. 

Against her skin, Zero groaned low in her throat at the taste. Karmilla’s blood was like none of the other she’d drank, it was thick and rich, heady on her tongue. Between her thighs she could feel her cunt grow wet, drunk on the flavor of the pureblood.

Finally, after several gulps Zero forced herself to pull away, lest she take too much and actually hurt Karmilla. She licked her lips, chasing the taste and found her cheeks warm. 

Karmilla looked down to find Zero slightly out of breath and sporting a flush to her cheeks that matched that of the pureblood. Those violet eyes were dazed, pupils blown wide as they met the pureblood’s own vermillion ones and Karmilla was frozen, captivated by the hunter’s gaze and the pretty red stain on those lips that _she’d_ been the one to cause.

Before she could stop herself she leaned down to capture Zero’s lips in a kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karmilla and Zero are forced to deal with the fallout of the kiss they shared and confront not only the consequences their actions have upon the women themselves but what it means for everyone around them as well, all the while coming to bitter grasp with the fact that feelings have no place when it comes to duty and responsibility. The question is, are either of them willing to accept that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know what you all are thinking so let me just answer a few of your questions now and get it out of the way. Did I write this like, several months earlier, in advance? Yes. Did I also not post it until now despite that? Also yes. Have I been staring at this chapter for days and ripping my hair out while editing it? Of course. Did I forget to post this and then my mental illness combined with coursework and life got in the way of me finding the time to edit and post this before now? Yes, yes and yes.
> 
> I am really sorry that I didn't update this work until now, guys, seriously, I can't tell you how horrible I feel for that. But unfortunately, life just kept throwing shit at me and putting up roadblock after roadblock. Sometimes it just be like that sometimes. But I'm here now and I'm super, super thankful to all the people liking and enjoying this fic, as it really is a lot of fun to write and it warms my heart to know that you all enjoy it just as much as I do. Really, thank you. ❤

Zero and Karmilla never got the chance to talk about the kiss. Yet a few days later, the pureblood found her presence requested in the chairwoman’s office.

Kaede Cross was lacking her usual carefree smile when Karmilla entered and took a seat, the hunter hiding a pensive frown behind steepled fingers. The dull walls seemed to press in on the pureblood woman, trapping her in place.

“Karmilla,” Cross sighed, removing her glasses and setting them on the desk as she rubbed at the bridge of her nose for a moment, looking every bit the tired woman that she really was beneath that cheerful and optimistic facade. “I’m sure you know what this is about.”

She’d be a fool not to, of course. Nothing happened on this campus without Cross knowing about it, so she wasn’t terribly surprised to be having this conversation. She was, however, shocked it took Cross _this_ long to wait to talk to her about it. 

“This concerns my relationship with Kiryuu, I presume.”

“Yes. You two have been spending an awful lot of time together as of late, and it hasn’t escaped my notice. As a mother, I’m glad that Zero may have a reason to be happy once more, but I speak to you today not as a mother, but as a hunter,” The woman said. “I trust you recall that I have taken up the mantle of President of the Hunter’s Association.”

“Yes, I am aware.”

“Excellent, then, naturally as my only daughter and my only child with hunter blood, Zero will succeed me as President when the time comes for me to step down,” Cross continued. “Unfortunately, I am getting on in age and that time may come sooner rather than later and it is for that reason that I named Zero my heir long ago. I wanted to be sure that if something happened to me, the position of acting leader of the hunters would not fall to someone who will put their own desires first.”

“Forgive my language, but I fail to see how this concerns my relationship with Zero,” Karmilla retorted. “ma’am,” She added, as an afterthought. The pureblood’s garnet gaze narrowed at the hunter across from her. She’d already put the pieces together, of course. But she wanted to hear Cross say it all the same.

The hunter pressed her lips together and cleared her throat. “Zero’s position as my heir comes with certain responsibilities, as I am sure you are aware of.” 

Karmilla cocked her head, a cruel curl to her lips.

“Please, _enlighten_ me.”

Cross sighed. “You cannot make this easy, can you? As both my heir and the last remaining descendant of the Kiryuu bloodline, Zero will be expected to produce children. I am sure that comes as no surprise to you, given your position as the Kuran heir.”

Ah, right. Zero would be required to carry on her bloodline, whether she wished to or not. Her wants were irrelevant, as were Karmilla’s. How could she have forgotten such a silly thing as that? There is no such thing as freedom in this world they live in and that applied doubly so for those of which had been so unlucky as to be born with a cunt rather than a cock. They were to be broodmares, whose only job was to look pretty and spread their legs. _Disgusting._ Zero would be sold off to the highest bidder as soon as she came of age in a few months. No-

“Zero has a fiancé,” The pureblood concluded in a frosty tone. Why else would Cross bother with this conversation? Couldn’t have the precious goods _spoiled_ after all_._ “Does she _know?_ Is she even aware that she’s been bought and sold like _chattel_?” Karmilla spat with a deadly calm, rising from her seat.

Kaede remained unfazed in the face of the vampire’s anger, merely adjusting her glasses as she glanced at Karmilla as though she were no more than a child throwing a tantrum. 

“Yes,” She answered softly. “She does.”

Karmilla stiffened. She thought of the previous weeks spent with the other woman, something unspoken simmering between her and the hunter. Had it all been just a game to Zero, then? Toying with the pureblood’s emotions? It wasn’t as though Karmilla didn’t deserve it, but the revelation was like a stab to the gut all the same.

“So, I must ask that you keep your relationship with Zero strictly platonic, Kuran. For both of your sakes.” 

The words tasted foul on Cross’ tongue. She cared about Zero’s happiness. Of course she did. But she must also fulfill her own duty as President of the hunter’s association first and foremost and that involved ensuring the continuation of the Kiryuu bloodline. For if the Kiryuu clan ever died out, there would be not a single hunter left alive with the power to challenge the Kuran family. And Kaede knew better than to trust anyone in that family with unchecked power.

The pureblood said nothing more in reply before turning on her heel and waltzing out of the room.

Everything went to shit quite quickly after Karmilla’s conversation with Cross. Yukito began having nightmares. Her psychotic aunt Rio returned for her vengeance. And all of that, coupled with the appearance of a pureblood by the name of Marius Kurenai only served to further complicate things, as his presence brought Zero’s long-lost sibling back with him.

_“Ichiru-“ Zero breathed, reaching out with a hand that was quickly slapped away._

_“Don’t call me that,” The longer-haired vampire snarled. “My name is Izumi, I have _always_ been Izumi. But unlike you, dear sister, I was born wrong. Forced into a man’s body and our parents attempted to shape me into someone that I never _was_.”_

_“I never knew,” Zero whispered with a wince at the venom in her sibling’s words._

_“Of course, you didn’t. You were the normal child, the good one. Not the one who paraded around in dresses and make-up. You’ll never understand what I went through.”_

_Despite the sword at her throat, Zero took a step forward. The sharp tip dug into her flesh, drawing a bead of crimson. _

_“You’re right,” She conceded. “I can’t understand what happened to you. But you’re still my sister and I still love you; nothing will change that. I’ve only ever wanted you to come home, Izumi.”_

_It was the first time Zero had called her sister._

Yukito changed after his pureblood side awakened. He became colder, and much more calculating in his actions. Calculating that is, but not cruel - Yukito didn’t have the capacity to be cruel, unlike his sister. 

Zero didn’t look at either of the pureblood siblings anymore or even speak to them, leaving Karmilla to wonder which of pureblood siblings was more hurt by that. Rio was dead, and her dear brother had returned to her. Karmilla had everything she desired for years finally within her grasp and emerged victorious once more. 

Yet the victory left her with a bitter taste in her mouth and a weight hanging over her.

Izumi had taken up the open position of second prefect alongside her sister and Yukito’s old friend, Yori. The trio did a good job controlling the students, much better than Yukito had ever done, admittedly. But not once did Zero’s lilac gaze ever drift towards Karmilla. 

Still, every evening during class changeover the pureblood woman couldn’t stop herself from looking for the hunter, even knowing she’ll only find disappointment. 

It was during one such evening when class changeover was interrupted.

The students all openly gawked as two black carriages pulled up to the school gates, from which exited and a man and a woman in clean-pressed suits. The man’s amber skin contrasted with the black of his clothing and his shock of red hair stood out clear as day, laying over his shoulder in a braid. The woman was roughly the same height, with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail that looked tight enough to hurt and her lazy glance that said she was more bored than anything. 

“Zero, Izumi,” The woman greeted in a cordial nod, her tone decidedly more frost towards the younger sibling.

“What is happening?” Aidou asked in a scandalous whisper as everyone traded glances. For once, Karmilla would like to know the same thing. Who was this woman and why was she so familiar with Kiryuu?

“Not here,” Zero murmured, glancing at the new student behind the hunter woman. “We have an audience.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder towards the students gawking.

“Yori and I can handle class changeover, sister,” Izumi assured her, clapping a hand on Zero’s shoulder. “Go take care of things, we’ll be fine.”

The older twin raised an eyebrow in question at that and her gaze shifted over to the blonde boy beside her sister for confirmation. Yori gave her a slight nod in agreement. 

“Alright,” She conceded, turning back to the strangers and telling them something that was too difficult for even Karmilla to make out. Zero smiled briefly at something the pony-tailed woman said before all three of them disappeared down the path, leaving the rest of the students to their speculating. 

Everyone was abuzz about the whole display later that night. Day students stayed up past curfew trading rumors in their beds and night class students gossiped under their breath during class.

“I’m telling you, that kid is a hunter too. I could smell it.” Aidou insisted.

“Why is Cross allowing even more hunters on campus?” Ruka questioned with a growl as suspicion rippled around the room.

“They will be treated with respect, _regardless_ of whether they are hunters or not.” Karmilla stated firmly with a glance around the room. “I will _not_ have our peace with the hunters jeopardized simply because a few immature children feel threatened for no apparent reason. Again, I remind you, there would be no need for supervision if some of you would cease this ridiculous behavior and learn how to act like the adults you seem to expect to be treated as.” Her frosty gaze landed on Aidou in particular. Around her, the other vampires nodded in submission before ducking their heads and returning to their work, thoroughly chastised and knowing better than to question her. 

She could feel her brother’s gaze on her like a weight throughout the rest of the night.

Vincent Dubois was the name of the man with the red braid, as it turned out. Karmilla even hated the sound of his name on her lips. Zero’s fiancé, a hunter prodigy that spoke with a clear French accent and (more importantly) saw fit to glue himself to Zero’s side. He’d be spending the rest of their final year at the Academy with Zero in an effort to get to know his fiancée, and Karmilla had never heard worse news in her life.

“Karmilla.” 

Yukito’s voice shocked the woman out of her reverie, turning away from the window to greet her brother with a questioning glance. 

“You have another letter from the council.”

She sighed. “Put it on my desk please, thank you.”

“It’s about the marriage again, isn’t it?” He asked, doing as she told him.

“Most likely, yes.”

Her brother hummed at that before walking over to lay down on the chaise. Thankfully they were in the privacy of her own room, with no risk of people overhearing their conversation as Yukito spoke, 

“We do not _have_ to marry if you do not wish to, you know.”

Karmilla barked out a laugh that was more bitter than anything. 

“The council would go mad with fury.”

“Then let them,” He commented, shifting to look at his sister. “The custom is outdated anyway and I daresay that they’d be fools to challenge _you_ for power. Maybe it’s time for a change.”

The woman blinked at hearing such words from her brother. This was the same boy who’d cried over accidentally stepping on a butterfly a few months ago. 

“You’ve certainly changed quite a bit,” She commented. Her brother didn’t reply to that, only giving her a lazy smile.

She mulled over Yukito’s words. True, the custom was rather archaic and outdated, she wouldn’t deny that. And she knew that he didn’t only suggest it for her benefit either- she saw the glances he still cast towards that human boy, Yori.

The pureblood stood and stalked over to pour herself a glass of wine and drop a blood tablet into the liquid, her finger brushing over the hardcover of the book she’d had Takuma fetch for her and immediately shaking her head with a slight laugh at the title. _A Study on Fated Pairs._ It was ridiculous, a mere fairytale. She’d been foolish in thinking there was any fact to such a tale. _And yet-_

Her brother had laid down on the couch for a nap. He was quickly developing a habit of wanting to be near his sister whenever possible, a shadow silently following in her steps.

Karmilla sipped from the glass and glanced outside where the two hunters had disappeared. She could not help but recall Cross’ words then. She and Zero, they must both make sacrifices. Because this was about more than them, this was about maintaining the peace between their kin. And she didn’t have the right to jeopardize all of that for her own happiness. Not after all she’d done.

Burgundy eyes met the frosty glare of Karen Takamiya below. The older hunter kept her expression blank as ever, studying Karmilla before waltzing off in slow, measured steps. 

Karmilla’s glass crunched in between her fingers, falling to the floor in tiny shards.

“Well _someone_ is certainly in a mood,” Yukito commented from the couch, cracking open one eye to blink at her lazily and raise an eyebrow at the mess on the floor. “That’s the twelfth glass you’ve broken this month alone.”

“That’s hardly a great amount.”

“It was a _set_ of twelve,” Yukito drawled. “What’s on your mind? It must be something important to make you this furious.”

“It’s nothing,” Karmilla snapped before remembering who she was speaking to and cooling her temper. Yukito did not deserve her ire, after all. “Did you know Zero has a fiance?” She asked instead.

“Yes, Cross told us a few times. I never met the man, though I believe his name was Vincent something…”

“I see. And what, pray tell, does Zero think of this whole thing?”

“I’m not sure. She never told me. Why are you so concerned about her all of a sudden?” Yukito questioned with open curiosity in his voice. 

“No reason.”

“_Karm…”_ Yukito sighed and sat up fully. “Does this have something to do with that day I saw you leaving Cross’ office a few months ago, looking ready to murder someone?”

The woman blinked and straightened. 

“You saw that?”

“I did.”

Karmilla swallowed around the hard lump in her throat. 

“It was nothing, that’s all.”

“If it were nothing you wouldn’t be this upset,” Her brother gently reminded. “Look, if you wish to know so much about her fiance, why don’t you go ask the woman herself?”

“I cannot.”

“Why?”

“Because-“ She stopped herself. Because what? Because she kissed the woman and has been avoiding her ever since because she didn’t want to deal with the hunter’s inevitable hatred? How could she explain that to her brother of all people? Yukito would never understand.

“I may not understand what is going on between you two, Karmilla. But I truly think you should just talk to her. You may be surprised at what she says. And you might not have the chance for much longer,”

The woman’s throat tightened, knowing how right her brother was. If—_when _Zero married, she would most likely move away from the Academy. Karmilla wouldn’t see her again until it was from opposite ends of a business table, and even then it would be with _him_ on her arm. The thought made the pureblood’s stomach twist and her lungs struggle to draw breath.

No, Yukito was right. She needed to talk with Zero while she still had the chance.

Zero huffed in annoyance for the umpteenth time and reached for the cup beside her, bringing it to her lips and grimacing at the taste lukewarm coffee on her tongue. She set it back in its place with a hateful glower before returning to her attempts to reason with the equation on the page before her. She groaned and shook her head, the lines beginning to blur together. Eight hours of studying does strange things to one’s head, she supposed. 

She looked up then, freezing at the sight of a familiar pureblood still clad in the stark white uniform of the night class standing before her. Suddenly, the hunter’s mouth felt much too dry. Her heart threatened to leap out of her chest at the sight of the other woman, making Zero fight to keep her face from giving anything of her feelings away.

“Kuran,” Zero greeted. “What is it? Do you need something from me?”

Karmilla’s smile faltered at the pointed choice of last name in place of first. Her shoulders fell slightly as she cleared her throat.

“Yes, I was hoping we could talk.”

“Talk? About what?” Zero scoffed.

This time Karmilla was unable to stop her eyes from narrowing. 

“I believe you know _what._”

“Do I?”

It was then that the old librarian on duty decided to sidle over, glancing at both women over the rim of his spectacles. 

“Ladies, must I remind you that this is, in fact, a library? No talking is permitted outside of that which is related to academia.”

Zero nodded. 

“Of course, Mr. Gregory.”

Karmilla remained fixed in place, her attention still on the hunter before her. She could not care less what the human wanted, honestly.

“Zero, will you please _just-“_

The man cleared his throat.

“Miss. Kuran, I encourage you to remember that such rules apply to the night class and yourself as well. If you have something to discuss I suggest you take it outside, where you will not bother your peers who are attempting to study.”

With a harsh glare toward both women, the man then waltzed off, having deemed them thoroughly chastised.

Zero inevitably caved at the look on Karmilla’s face, packing her books into her bag and rising from her seat, damning her and her weakness for pretty brunettes. 

“Take a walk with me.”

It was a balmy night, all things considered. The kind where the air lingered, heavy and warm, but not uncomfortably so. It spoke of approaching finals and the end of the semester, even more so than Zero’s studying habits did. Even more so than the engagement party announcement sitting abandoned on Karmilla’s desk.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Zero was far too focused on the blood rushing in her ears and staring determinedly at the ground. And Karmilla too focused on watching the hunter glare at the cement as though it had personally offended her.

“Are we not going to speak about what happened that night?” Karmilla asked, breaking the silence between them. “You cannot pretend it didn’t happen, Zero.”

“I’m not,” Zero replied quickly. She pinched her lips together, toying absently with strands of her hair. “That’s not- I know it happened. That’s not- it’s more complicated than that, alright?”

“Complicated like a _fiancé,_ you mean?”

Zero sighed and kicked a pebble underfoot. 

“Cross told you about Vincent,” The hunter surmised.

“She did. Why did you not say anything?”

“Like you’re one to talk,” The hunter shot back. “What about Yukito?”

“That is different.”

“How?”

“Because we decided to end it, over a _mutual_ decision, rather than let someone else control our lives any longer,” Karmilla hissed before stopping in her tracks. The words left her mouth before she realized it, much to her surprise, though even greater was the lack of regret she felt upon uttering them. 

Zero stiffened at the unexpected news, a million questions and thoughts running through her head and no way to possibly articulate any of them.

“Oh,” She finally settled on. “I didn’t know that.”

“Yes, much like I didn’t know about dear, _Vincent.”_

The hunter pursed her lips, eyes rolling in their sockets at the childish display of jealousy in the pureblood’s tone, struggling to find a way to explain their relationship to the other woman.

“Look, he isn’t- Vincent isn’t a bad guy.”

“So, you have feelings for him then?”

“I didn’t say that. But- look, Karmilla, you’re a pureblood, you’re _allowed_ to call off your engagement and people can’t do shit to stop you. But me? I’m just a hunter. I don’t get a say in these things. What I think doesn’t matter,” Zero said with no small amount of bitterness as she did so. 

She hadn’t realized how true that was until just now, and it made her sick as it truly sank in what that meant. It felt like there was an invisible collar wrapped around her neck, connected to a heavy chain at the other end of which traditions and a list of laws far outdated kept her in place like she was, a dog, an _animal,_ something even less than a person.

Karmilla stepped up behind the woman and enclosed her arms around her waist, pressing her nose against silver hair that smelled of lilacs and vanilla. She hid a frown against those soft strands.

“What did it mean to you? The kiss, that night.”

Zero clenched her jaw and gripped Karmilla’s cold hands with her own, fighting the urge to lean back into the embrace, knowing they’d both only hurt more for it. 

“I- nothing, okay? It _can’t_ mean anything, Karmilla. I’m engaged. Hell, I’m probably going to be married in a few months. It—_this_—us, it can’t mean anything.”

Karmilla bit her lip until it bled, tightening her grip on the hunter, half-fearing she would disappear right then. 

“What if I told you it meant something to me? What would you do then?”

“I would tell you to move on and find someone else. I-“ Zero weakly shook her head. The words cut her throat like knives as she forced them out. _How did we get to this point?_ “This can’t happen, Karmilla. It isn’t for you or me to decide. It’s just how it is. Our lives don’t belong to us. They never have.”

“What if I told you it was your choice?” The pureblood pressed. “What if it _was_ up to us to decide?”

“It isn’t-“

“Humor me.”

Zero sighed and craned her head, meeting the brunette’s lips for a kiss before she even knew what was happening. Slowly, she turned in Karmilla’s arms until she was facing the brunette, winding her hair in brown locks and tugging her closer, chasing the taste of wine on her tongue and feeling her heart clench agonizingly in her chest.

Karmilla groaned against Zero’s mouth, one hand on the hunter’s waist dropping lower to play with the hem of her skirt teasingly.

“You know I’d choose you. That isn’t even a question,” Zero whispered when they finally pulled apart. For a moment she allowed herself to be vulnerable, her violet eyes speaking volumes of what her lips couldn’t or wouldn’t, along with the flush staining her cheeks. The hunter quickly regained herself a second later and stepped away from the pureblood, telling herself the wetness that pricked at her eyes was due to the pollen in the air and nothing else. “But it isn’t up to us. This can’t happen again, Karmilla.”

“You truly feel nothing for Vincent?”

Zero bit down harshly on her lower lip and glanced at the other woman. It would be so easy to lie and say no. To swear she loved the man and walk away, leaving Karmilla standing there in the darkness. 

But she couldn’t do that to either of them.

“He’s a friend,” She confessed, wringing a hand through her hair. “But just a friend. I don’t- I don’t care for men in that way.” _Not like I do you._

Karmilla’s lips thinned. “So, you are willing to throw your life away for a man you don’t even love. Does your own happiness even matter?” _Does mine?_

Zero’s laugh was bitter and devoid of humor. 

“You know it doesn’t. Life doesn’t work that way. Not for us.”

“I won’t let you do that.”

“You don’t have a choice. Neither do I.”

Karmilla fought down a growl. No, she could not accept those words. She refused to accept them and why should she? She had never asked for this, neither had Zero. Why then must it be _their_ responsibility to sacrifice their happiness, their desires for the sake of everyone else? No, Karmilla refused to sacrifice everything she was merely because some council comprised those aged and bitter deemed it necessary. And she refused to allow Zero to do so either.

“I will find a way to change this,” The pureblood swore. “It isn’t fair of them to force us into a life we do not wish, and I won’t stand for it. I won’t let them do this, Zero, I _won’t._”

“You’re welcome to try,”

The woman leaned in, brushing her lips against the hunter’s one last time, ignoring how much it felt like a goodbye. 

“Trust me,” She murmured once against chapped lips before vanishing into the night.

A bitter laugh escaped Zero then, because god help her, but she _wanted_ to. She wanted desperately to believe that Karmilla would find some way to fix this like she did with everything, to prevent Zero from being forced into a marriage and life she never wanted. It was wishful thinking, of course, Zero knew that; not even Karmilla was capable of helping her out of this. But Zero still could not help but fucking _hope._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, what time is it? Let me just look at my watch here...
> 
> Well, what do ya know? It's sad lesbian hours!

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be your best friend forever if you leave kudos/bookmarks/comments! <3 Or come yell at me on tumblr, that works too. steel-and-silver@tumblr.com


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